The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer
by BroadwayBaggins
Summary: Secret Santa gift for Zip Goes a Million! Sybil Crawley volunteers to work both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. But her best friend Gwen, also home for the holidays, has no intention of letting Sybil spend the holiday alone. When she suggests going to a karaoke party on Christmas Eve, Sybil is hesitant...until she meets fellow performer Tom Branson...


_Are you SURE we can't convince you to come to Christmas after all?_

 _I need you to be there so Granny doesn't interrogate me about my love life!_

 _I'm sure if you just explained everything to your boss she'd understand!_

 _Sybil if you do not come for Christmas you are no longer my sister ok? I WILL DISOWN YOU._

 _Please come, darling. It won't be the same without you._

 _I'll make you cookies!_

Sybil sighed, closing out her group chat with her sisters. While she had to admit it was very sweet that Mary and Edith were trying so hard to convince her to come, she had already made her decision and there was nothing that would get her to change her mind.

Still, she felt a little guilty ignoring them entirely, so she pulled up the conversation again and typed out a reply as best as she could with gloved fingers. _Sorry loves, I already am set down for those shifts and the schedule is set in stone! You'll see me bright and early on the 31st and i'll spend as much time with you as you want! Love you both!_ For good measure, she added a line of hearts and Christmas trees, but she knew that wouldn't be enough to placate Edith and Mary. She would have to make it up to them some other way.

She hadn't made the decision to skip family Christmas this year out of spite or malice. Sybil knew that it was nearly impossible to cover shifts at the hospital during the holiday season, when everyone wanted to be home and with their families. But this year, the idea of another Christmas at Downton had seemed exhausting-another year with the same conversations about her work and whether she was really enjoying it (she was), if she was seeing anyone (not at the moment) and when she was going to come back home for good (she really, really wasn't). Every Christmas at Downton had been the same for as long as she could remember, and Sybil had decided that it was a much better use of her time to work instead, to spend the days helping others and giving back instead of taking, taking, taking. She had been more than happy to volunteer to work both Christmas and Boxing Day, and her supervisor had been more than grateful. Instead of listening to their grandmother nag Edith or her father ask Mary endless questions about her job, Sybil would spend the day at the hospital. Of course, she hadn't told her family that she had volunteered. She had told them that it was mandatory, unavoidable, in the hopes that they wouldn't be tempted to talk her out of it. Miraculously, her parents had accepted this more easily than her sisters had. Her grandmother was effectively giving her the silent treatment and had done so since she'd been given the news that Sybil wasn't coming for Christmas, but Sybil wasn't overly worried about that. She could tackle Granny later. Her sisters might prove to be tougher nuts to crack.

On the group text, Mary and Edith were silent, and Sybil sighed. They would forgive her eventually-hopefully, by the time she joined the family for New Years. She set her phone back in her pocket and reached into her bag for her book as the bus took a turn. Her fingers had just closed around the book's spine when her phone buzzed again, revealing two new texts-not from her sisters, but one from her mother and one from Mary's boyfriend, Matthew.

Sybil opened Matthew's text first. _Stay strong, little Crawley. Don't let Mary talk you into anything you don't want to do. We'll have a great New Year's!_

Sybil smiled and opened up her mother's text.

 _It won't be the same without you but I'm so proud of you darling! XOXO Mama_

The bus driver announced her stop, and Sybil stood up, wincing a bit as she put weight back on her aching feet. It was two days before Christmas, and she'd only had a six-hour shift today, but it had been a tough one and she was in need of a hot bath and a stiff drink. She thanked the driver as she disembarked the bus and was met with a harsh gust of freezing wind as she did so. They hadn't had much snow this year, but the clouds were low and grey overhead, threatening to start at any minute. She shoved her hands deep in her pockets and began to walk up the hill towards her flat. The sidewalks were crowded with shoppers toting bags filled with presents and groceries, and she slowed to take in the sights of some of the Christmas trees and light displays in the windows. She knew that the prospect of spending Christmas alone and at work would depress most people, but she was strangely excited.

And she wouldn't be alone just yet, anyway.

As if on cue, her phone went off again in her pocket, and she dug it out to find a text from Gwen. _We still on for later?_

 _Of course! Just give me a moment to change and I'll be right over._

Sybil reached back into her pocket for her key as she reached her flat-she lived on the bottom floor of the last house in a line of row houses on her street. The key stuck a little in the lock-it always did-and as she opened the door she heard the familiar meow of her cat Wallace, named after Bob Wallace in her favorite Christmas movie, _White Christmas._

She let herself in and turned on her tiny Christmas tree in the window of her living room, dropping her bag by the door. Her entire body was begging for her to sit down, but Wallace needed to be fed and petted, and she made herself attend to that first. She absently stroked Wallace's thick orange fur as she sorted through the pile of mail on her kitchen counter before remembering that Gwen was still waiting. She walked briskly to her bedroom, picking out a jumper and a pair of jeans to wear once she'd changed out of her scrubs. Gwen texted her again while she was running a brush through her hair, but she didn't bother to check it. "Bye, Wallace!" she called to her cat as she threw her coat on again and went back out into the Yorkshire cold.

Gwen, Sybil's neighbor and best friend, lived approximately two and a half minutes from Sybil's flat. When Sybil let herself in, she could smell cookies baking and hear the tell-tale sounds of Love Actually playing in the next room. "Just a question," she called over the film as she took off her coat. "How many times have you watched that movie this week alone? I'm looking for a conservative estimate here."

"Probably the same amount of times you've watched White Christmas?" Gwen teased from the kitchen.

"Touché."

"Cookies are almost done. Help yourself to a drink." Gwen emerged, sipping a beer and wearing an apron over an ornate Christmas sweater. Sybil chuckled at the sight as she pushed past her into the kitchen, rummaging around the fridge and selecting her favorite cider.

"You're very festive, aren't you?"

"We're celebrating!"

"Celebrating what?"

"Freedom!" Gwen crowed, holding her bottle high in a toast. "As of five o'clock today, I do not have to go back into work until the fifth of January!" Gwen worked at a small, local publishing house in town and, like Sybil, had volunteered to work extra days in the time leading up to the holiday. Unlike Sybil, she was getting extra days off in January to make up for it, but Sybil didn't mind too much. Unlike the publishing world, the hospital didn't get a holiday.

"Sorry," Gwen added as an afterthought. "Don't mean to rub it in."

"Hey, I volunteered, remember?"

"Yes, because you are an absolute saint and your family doesn't deserve you," Gwen said theatrically, wrapping her arms around Sybil and placing a loud kiss against her temple. "In fact, you shouldn't even go at all this year. Send me instead." She fixed Sybil with a devilish grin, and Sybil rolled her eyes.

"It's nothing they've done-"

"So you say."

"I mean it. And if you think your family wouldn't mind missing you, you're welcome to go in my place. You know my mother loves you."

Gwen rolled her eyes. "They'd come drag me back kicking and screaming. Is it so bad that I would rather spend Christmas in a great manor house than crammed into my parents' little cottage with nieces and nephews hanging all over me?"

The description of Gwen's family Christmas actually sounded sweet and cozy to Sybil, but she didn't say so. "I know they're all terribly cross with me for not coming for Christmas. It's just there's so much more important work to be done here. It isn't worth it to go back home for the same old Christmas I have every year."

Gwen blinked at her, taking a slow sip of her beer. "So why don't you do something to make this Christmas different?" she asked Sybil quietly.

Sybil laughed. "I thought that's what I was doing. Helping people, making a difference. Giving back, doing something to really make my Christmas worthwhile."

Whatever Gwen had been about to say, it was cut off by the ringing of her oven timer, and she turned to take the cookies out of the oven. She and Sybil chatted a bit about work while they waited for them to cool and set out frosting and sprinkes to decorate them later. Although Gwen would be joining her family on Christmas morning, Sybil had her until then, and she was the only one of Sybil's friends who hadn't gone home for the holiday already. She was happy to have her.

They talked and decorated cookies for a little while-Sybil kept finding excuses to eat the broken or less perfect ones-until Gwen brought up Sybil's plans for the next day. She finished her cider and set the bottle in the sink to be rinsed. "Well, I'm working, as you know. The early shift, but not quite a double. I'll be in by six but I think I should be done by...no later than five o'clock in the afternoon or so. Why? Did you want to try to take in a movie or something?"

"No, but you're sort of on the right track."

Sybil glanced at her friend and almost rolled her eyes as she focused on sprinkling flakes of red and green sugar sprinkles onto a bell-shaped Christmas cookie. The movie had been paused long ago, and Gwen's spotify account was playing a bouncy, indie Christmas carol from her computer. Gwen rested her chin on her propped up hands and looked at Sybil expectantly. "I know that look," Sybil told her matter-of-factly. "You've got something planned, haven't you?"

"Just an idea," Gwen said mischievously.

"Well, what is it, then?"

Gwen grinned and darted over to one of the kitchen counters, retrieving a folded piece of paper that Sybil hadn't noticed before. She handed it over to Sybil without a word. Sybil scanned it, recognizing the name of one of the local pubs across the top.

" _Christmas Eve Karaoke Night! Come and join us for a night of drinks and songs, from new hits to old favorites. All abilities welcome!"_ There were more details underneath, the time of the event among them, but Sybil didn't bother to read them as she looked up at Gwen with dismay on her face.

"Karaoke? Gwen, you can't be serious."

"Why not? It'll be a laugh, Sybil, come on!"

"It will be an utter disaster. A bunch of lonely people who don't have anyplace better to be on Christmas Eve than the pub. And they'll be _singing._ "

"Come on, you said you didn't want the same old Christmas as every year…"

"Don't you have packing to do anyway?"

"Hello, what do you think I'm going to do when you're at work all day? After sleeping for hopefully no less than twelve glorious hours, of course." Sybil stuck her tongue out at her, and Gwen laughed.

"Please? It could be really fun. I've been to other karaoke events there and the people are actually really good. I don't know how much of a turnout they'll have on Christmas Eve, of course, but..come on, Sybil, it will be fun! And if it isn't, we can leave early," she added as an afterthought.

"No," Sybil said firmly, turning back to the cookies she was decorating as if that settled the matter.

"Please? Don't make me go alone." Gwen's voice was more pleading now. "And you've got a gorgeous voice, don't you want to show it off?"

Sybil opened her mouth to argue, but Gwen cut her off. "Just think about it, okay? See how you feel after work. Maybe we can just pop by for one drink. If it's absolutely crap we can come here and order a pizza, okay?"

If Sybil Crawley knew anything about Gwen Dawson, it was that she never backed down. Sybil sighed and reached for the pastry bag, giving a little nod. "Fine. I'll think about it. But that's the best I can do," she warned.

"I'll take that," Gwen said with a grin.

Sybil didn't end up staying too long after that-it was getting late and she had to be up at the crack of dawn the next morning. She hugged Gwen goodbye at the door and tucked the tin of cookies she'd been given under her arm before going back out into the cold to walk back to her flat. Little flurries of snow were drifting down from the sky, and Sybil's pace slowed as she walked. She tilted her head back to get a better glimpse of the snow, illuminated by the streetlights and Christmas lights around her. A little smile crossed her face. It really did seem magical, this time of year.

Suddenly, Sybil felt a pain in her shoulder as someone bumped into her, and she stopped short. "Oh, God, I'm sorry," an unfamiliar, Irish-accented voice said in her ear. "I wasn't paying attention at all. I'm so sorry."

"It's all right," Sybil said immediately, turning to face the voice. A tall man stood before her with a knit hat pulled low over his ears against the chill. His hands were shoved deep into the pockets of his peacoat, and he had a scarf wound around his neck. She couldn't quite make out his face in the dark, but she smiled anyway. "It's probably my fault. I was too distracted by the snow."

"I think I can forgive that," he said with a smile. "It is beautiful after all."

They laughed once before a pause fell over them. "Well, I'd better get going," Sybil said softly, knowing that she still had so many things left to do before she could go to bed.

"Of course. Sorry again for smacking into you...Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," Sybil replied before turning to go and continuing on her way.

Wallace the cat was fast asleep in an armchair when Sybil arrived home. She set the cookies on the kitchen counter and reached into the fridge, pulling out the chicken she'd cooked earlier that day. Working at the hospital, it was easy to get sucked into the trap of eating the overpriced cafeteria food every day, but Sybil enjoyed cooking and tried to bring her own food to work if possible. She pulled out a bag of corn tortillas and got to work making and assembling a pan of chicken enchiladas that she could take for lunch tomorrow. She quickly fell into a rhythm as she dipped each tortilla into the enchilada sauce and spooned the rice and chicken mixture into it, humming Christmas carols under her breath. As she worked, her mind kept going back to the flyer that Gwen had shown her. She had protested it at the time, but now she wasn't so sure. She did have a good voice, and so did Gwen. Maybe it wouldn't be so terrible as she was imagining.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Sybil," she scolded herself as she put the pan of enchiladas into the oven. How could it not be terrible? It would be full of people who had nowhere else to be on Christmas Eve...people like her.

Her stomach growled-the only dinner she'd had was broken Christmas cookies, and cooking had made her hungry. She rummaged around the pantry for a while before deciding to make some spaghetti bolognese for one. She set to work as Wallace woke up and wound his body around her legs as she stood at the stove, begging Sybil for attention. She supposed some people might find it lonely, cooking for herself just a few days before Christmas, but Sybil found she was actually quite content.

When her dinner was done, she took it over to her tiny kitchen table to eat. The cat jumped up beside her, settling down on the table and sniffing at her food. Sybil had long ago given up on trying to keep Wallace off of the table. He nudged her elbow and she scratched his head between his ears, making him purr as he stared at her with his huge green eyes. "Don't look at me like that," she scolded him softly. He meowed.

"It's going to be a good Christmas," she whispered. "I know it."

Sybil's Christmas Eve started with her up before the sun, getting ready for work. The workday passed in a blur-at times it was so busy she barely had a moment to herself, but there were lulls as well where she was actually able to catch her breath. She stitched up cuts from incidents preparing Christmas dinners, diagnosed and treated concussions after ice-skating escapades, and had one memorable incident involving a mistletoe allergy that she was already sure she would describe to her family as involving nargles. Gwen was even able to stop by around midday with a cup of coffee and a muffin for Sybil as a pick-me-up. She didn't mention the karaoke party, but Sybil knew it was on the tip of her tongue.

When her shift was finally over, Sybil walked home from the bus stop in the darkening twilight, her hands in her pockets. The snow had stopped, but the pavement was just a little slippery and she found herself remembering the man who had bumped into her last night.

She let herself in and greeted Wallace, asleep under the tree. She tried to keep herself busy, but her mind kept wandering as she tried to plan her meals for tomorrow-she didn't have to be at the hospital until later-and focus on _It's a Wonderful Life_ on TV. Her family had sent her many texts, but she didn't bother to read any of them. There was one from Gwen, though, that caught her eye.

 _We don't have to go out if you don't want. Just come over?_

She stared at her phone for a long time, humming absently. Wallace wandered over and jumped up into her lap, looking at her expectantly.

She was dialing Gwen before she knew what she was doing.

"Hey, Gwen? Do you still want to go to karaoke after all?"

After a quick takeaway meal from their favorite Indian restaurant on the corner, Sybil and Gwen arrived at the pub right as the event was about to start. She hadn't wanted to arrive so early, but she was surprised to find the pub more crowded than she thought it would be. The room was warm and smelled of spices and the woodsmoke from the fireplace at the back, near the stage that had been set up for karaoke. Sybil and Gwen got their drinks from the bar and found a spot close to the action, but not so close that they would feel like they were sitting on top of the performers. There was a Christmas tree nearby that was twinkling merrily, and Sybil wrapped her hands around her mug of mulled wine and smiled. It was different than she had imagined-cozier, quieter even with so many people. "This is nice," she told Gwen as the owner of the pub stepped up to the mic to open up the floor to whoever wanted to sing.

The first two singers were great-a couple that did a sweet duet of "Baby It's Cold Outside." It wasn't Sybil's favorite Christmas song, but they did a great job and she clapped along with everybody else when they were done. A few pop songs followed, and then an older gentleman did a beautiful rendition of "O Little Town of Bethlehem". Sybil cast a curious eye at the signup sheet, which was waiting over on the bar. Gwen followed her gaze and nudged her.

"Go on, you know you want to."

"Maybe later."

"Come on, Sybil. You know...the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear."

"This isn't _Elf,_ Gwen."

"Shame. What if I go first? Will that make you happy?"

"That would help."

Gwen let out a cry of triumph and dragged Sybil to her feet as the next performer took the stage. They had reached the first little lull in the performances, and there were only a few people ahead of them on the list. As Sybil studied the song list looking for options, Gwen grabbed the list and scribbled something down hastily. "Hey! What are you doing?"

"It's a surprise. I've already chosen for you."

"That's not fair!"

"Trust me!"

A few more acts went, and then it was Gwen's turn. She hadn't let Sybil see the signup sheet at all, and she crossed her arms over her chest, glaring up at her friend onstage as she waited her turn. Gwen ended up doing a version of "Merry Christmas, Darling," and even though Sybil was frustrated with her she had to admit it was beautiful. She clapped and cheered along with everyone else, and then it was her turn. Gwen appeared at her side to push her up onstage, and Sybil's stomach filled with butterflies.

"I don't know about this…"

"Trust me!"

The moment the opening notes of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" reached Sybil's ears, she smiled. Gwen had remembered that this was Sybil's mother's favorite Christmas song, and that the Crawley family never missed a chance to sing it together on Christmas Eve. Gwen had remembered just how much this song meant to Sybil's family, and Sybil couldn't ask for a better best friend.

"Until then, we'll have to muddle through somehow!" she sang, happy that the song included the original lyrics from _Meet Me in St. Louis,_ not the more modern, optimistic version. Her family always sang the original lyrics, too.

"And have yourself a merry little Christmas now!"

There was more applause than she had expected when she was done. Sybil had a nice voice, but she had always considered her sister Mary to be the singer in the family. She smiled shyly and even took a little bow before she started to leave the stage. Before she could, though, Gwen jumped up beside her, picking up the extra microphone.

"My turn again! Duet!"

"Wait, seriously?" Sybil began as the opening notes began. She heard piano and saxophone and had to resist the urge to burst out laughing. She and Gwen had a dramatic, shouted version of this very same song the night before while they decorated cookies.

"No one even knows this one except us!" she whispered to Gwen over the music.

"Who cares? Sing!"

They both lifted the microphones to their mouths and began

" _The city is covered in snow tonight, the children fast asleep…"_

A few in the crowd laughed as they recognized the cheesy 90s song as "Dear Santa", and they even got a few cheers. Sybil and Gwen's voices blended perfectly together, and soon the whole crowd was into it.

" _Hey, Santa! I wish with all my might…"_

" _Hey, Santa!"_

" _Hey Santa!"_

" _If you hear me, won't you hurry, bring my baby tonight!"_

Gwen took the melody, and Sybil the higher harmony. They even threw in a few unison dance moves, which only made the crowd more excited, laughing and clapping along with them. Sybil's mouth was stretched tight in a smile, but she still tried to keep in tune.

" _I hear a knock, oh, can it be? My wish is staring back at me…_ "

They finished in a flourish of 90s saxophone and applause from the crowd and threw their arms around each other, laughing so hard it was hard to keep upright. "See? I told you to trust me!" Gwen called out as she and Sybil got off the stage, ready for the next performer. They got more drinks and headed back to their seats. Sybil saw Gwen eyeing a pretty girl nearby and smiled-Gwen had had a bad breakup with her long-time girlfriend just before the holidays, and it was nice to see her looking interested in someone else again. Sybil reached for her phone and was about to text her mother when the next performer took the stage.

"When I'm worried and I can't sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep...and I fall asleep counting my blessings."

At the sound of the familiar lyrics, Sybil's head snapped up, and she stared at the stage with wide eyes. She would know that song anywhere.

He wasn't Bing Crosby, that was for sure. His voice was a little bit deeper and richer, and his looks-light brown hair that fell just a little bit into his eyes. He wore a deep green sweater that fit him perfectly and showed off just the faintest hint of muscles underneath. And there was a look in his eyes as he sang that looked just the tiniest bit familiar.

Gwen followed her gaze and laughed. "I know that look. Sybil's in love."

"No! Are you insane? I just wasn't expecting anyone to do that song." The song that Bob Wallace serenades Betty Haynes with in the lobby of the inn when she can't sleep wasn't exactly a Christmas song, although it was from an iconic Christmas movie. "He's quite good, isn't he?"

"A little more than good, from the look you're giving him."

Sybil leaned back, hoping she hadn't been staring at him and making a fool of herself. From the look on Gwen's face, she was sure she had been. "Go talk to him," Gwen whispered in her ear as the song continued. "Once he's done. What have you got to lose?"

"My pride and dignity," Sybil hissed back.

"Come on! It's Christmas! At least tell him what a good job he did. There's no risk in that, is there?"

Sybil couldn't quite come up with a good argument for that, so she settled down and listened to the rest of the song. He really had a beautiful voice, and more than a few people stood up and applauded once he was done. Sybil was on her feet as well, moving toward him before she could talk herself out of it.

"I know exactly what I'm going to dream about tonight." Sybil quoted, making the man turn around.

It turned out he was even more attractive up close, if possible. The firelight sparkled in his eyes in a way that made Sybil's breath catch in her throat, and he grinned at her. "Nice catch," he said in response to her quote. She thought of how in the movie, Bob responds to Betty's words by kissing her, and she felt her face redden. For some reason, that didn't seem so bad.

"I wasn't sure anyone would get it," he continued. "People don't seem to know that movie as much as they used to."

"It's my favorite," Sybil said before she could stop herself. She knew she was probably coming on way too strong, but she couldn't help it. She had no idea why she was so drawn to this stranger, and she could feel Gwen's eyes on her. This really wasn't like her at all.

"Mine too," he said, grinning at her again, and she felt another thrill go through her. "Ever since I was a kid."

"I named my cat after Bob Wallace," Sybil admitted. Probably not the best idea-he might think she was coming on too strong, but he also might think it was charming. "Personality-wise, though, he's a bit more like Phil."

Luckily, the man laughed, and Sybil felt as though she'd gotten a victory. "I'm Tom," he told her, holding out his hand. Sybil took it-it was warm and strong in her grasp, almost enveloping hers as she shook it.

"Sybil," she replied. "Sybil Crawley."

"Well, Sybil Crawley, what brings you to karaoke night this Christmas Eve?" He smiled at her expectantly. "I come to a lot of these things, and I haven't seen you around."

"That's so funny, because I was just thinking that you seem so familiar to me," Sybil blurted out. "But you're right, I haven't come to these before."

A curious look crossed Tom's face, and he leaned in closer to study her. She hoped he couldn't hear how loudly her heart was beating. Suddenly, realization dawned, and he smiled. "You're the snowflake girl," he said softly. "The one I nearly ran down in the street last night because she was so taken by the snow."

Sybil's eyes widened, and suddenly she did recognize him, even without the hat and scarf. "That _was_ you!" she cried delightedly.

"But you haven't answered my question," Tom said, leaning in closer to her again.

Sybil explained that she worked at the hospital nearby and had volunteered to work over Christmas. To her surprise, Tom seemed genuinely interested in her work, and asked her questions as the karaoke night continued around them. Sybil hardly heard the music anymore, and while she felt a little bad for abandoning Gwen, she knew her friend would understand. She and Tom took a seat at a nearby table to continue talking, the music nothing more than background noise now.

"How about you?" she asked him. "What brings you here on Christmas Eve?"

"Nothing as noble as you, I'm sorry to say. Like I said, I'm a pretty regular fixture at these events-they have them here once a month or so. I'm actually an actor. We had our last show before the holiday season this afternoon-matinee. Pantomime." He grinned. "I get two whole glorious days off before I get to jump back into it. It's so much fun, though. The kids adore it and I get to do what I love. It's not exactly what I envisioned when I was fresh out of drama school-I was thinking I'd land a gig on some big BBC drama-but it's nice. It's really nice."

"That sounds wonderful!" Sybil said, smiling as she realized that Tom Branson had more in common with the fictional Bob Wallace than she'd thought. "What's the show?"

"Robin Hood. I play Little John and a couple of roles in the ensemble. It's exhausting, but it's such a blast. Seeing the kids really get into it, shouting at us or singing along...it's amazing. It's enough to remind you why you love it in the first place."

"I understand," Sybil said immediately. "Working in the hospital, sometimes it's nonstop. You don't have a moment to think, much less catch your breath. It can be so overwhelming that sometimes you feel like you're drowning, but then there are the good times, the times when you actually get to help someone-when you get to deliver good news or help a family welcome a new baby into the world, and the rest of it doesn't really matter anymore."

He smiled at her, but there was something else in his eyes that Sybil couldn't really identify. His gaze dropped for just a moment, and Sybil wondered if he was looking at her lips. Then he looked behind her, out the window, and his smile grew wider. "Take a look."

Sybil turned to look, and her mouth dropped open at the sight. Fat, fluffy snowflakes were falling, swirling around as if someone had just shaken up a snowglobe. "It's snowing!" she cried out, like a child on Christmas morning. "I didn't even know it was in the forecast!"

"I'm not sure it was, now that I think about it," Tom said softly. "Might be one of those Christmas miracles." He nodded his head in the direction of the door. "Care to take a walk with me, Snowflake Girl?"

Sybil didn't hesitate. "I'd love to."

Gwen wasn't at their table when Sybil went to retrieve her coat and hat-she spotted her a few tables away, chatting to the girl she'd been looking at earlier. She didn't want to interrupt, so she bundled up quickly and sent Gwen a brief text explaining where she'd gone in case she started to worry later. Tom was waiting for her at the door to the pub, his hat once again pulled low over his ears. "No scarf tonight?" Sybil teased as she came up next to him.

He made a face. "I think my flatmate might have borrowed it. I'll have to do without. Shall we?"

Sybil nodded, and he opened up the door. Instantly they were met with a rush of cold air and a scattering of snowflakes, and Sybil involuntarily hunched her shoulders, trying to shrink inside of her coat. Tom saw this and put his arm around her. It was sudden, she supposed, but it was also warm, and she didn't mind.

The streets were more or less deserted as they walked, the snow falling all around them. It had already begun to stick, coating the ground with a faint dusting of snow that crunched underneath Sybil's boots as they walked. She looked up in wonder at the snow against the streetlamps, leaning into Tom's arm as they went along.

"We might get snowed in here," he murmured in her ear, quoting _White Christmas_ once again. This whole thing was starting to feel like something out of a movie, or maybe a dream.

"I'm not sure that would be so bad, actually," she replied, snuggling closer to his side.

"Me either."

They talked more as they walked aimlessly through the deserted, snowy street-about their jobs, their families, their plans for the rest of the holiday season. Before Sybil knew it, they had walked in a circle around the entire block, and the pub was coming back into view. From what she could see through the windows, it looked less crowded than it had when they'd left-maybe people were starting to get worried about going back home in the snow. "Is it bad that I don't want to go back?" she said softly, making Tom stop and look at her. There were snowflakes on his hat and a few had even landed on his eyelashes for a few seconds before he'd blinked them away. Sybil knew she probably looked the same. "I mean...it's silly. But it sort of feels like there's a spell that's been cast and if we go back inside...then the spell will break."

He smiled. "Then let's not break the spell," he told her quietly.

Tom leaned in closer to her, one of his hands gently settling around her waist and pulling her against him. He hesitated for just a second, giving her time to pull away if she wanted to before she felt the touch of his lips on hers. They were soft against hers, and warm, despite the freezing air outside. Almost immediately, she entwined her arms around his neck to bring him closer, trying to savor this moment as much as she could. He responded in kind, wrapping both arms around her waist as the kiss became deeper, more insistent. Sybil could hardly believe that she was kissing an almost perfect stranger on the street on Christmas Eve.

But Tom didn't feel like a stranger, not anymore. Somehow, Sybil felt as though she had known him forever.

Before she knew it, her back was up against the cold brick wall of a nearby building, and Tom was kissing her desperately. She responded just as enthusiastically, only breaking apart when the headlights of a car passed them by, reminding her that as magical as this felt, they were not the only people left in this ethereal, snowy world. "Wow," she whispered, pulling away.

"Wow is right."

"I usually...never do this."

"Me either."

"So what do you think that means?"

Sybil smiled, reaching up to run her fingers through his hair-she wasn't sure exactly when she'd pulled off his hat, but it was in her other hand and she hoped he wasn't getting too chilled without it. "Maybe it's just like you said. A Christmas miracle."

"Well, you can't argue with a Christmas miracle," he said with a smile, placing another kiss on her lips, then her jaw, then her neck. Sybil's entire body was tingling with want and with something else...something she felt might be joy.

"Certainly not. Although maybe not...in the middle of the street."

He nodded, starting to move away from her. She caught him and held him there, feeling his heart beat against hers. "I live nearby," she whispered.

"Don't you have to work in the morning?"

She grinned. "Not right away."

Tom's eyes widened for a second, and he pulled her in for another excited kiss. Sybil held him close, not wanting this moment to ever end. "Come on," she said when they pulled apart to breathe. "Follow me."

"Before we go, I have to ask," Tom said, lacing his gloved fingers through hers and pulling her close to place a kiss to her temple. "Are you glad that you came to karaoke night after all?"

Sybil looked over her shoulder at the pub, all lit up and shining against the snow. Inside, she hoped that Gwen was having a good time, and that she would have a good Christmas tomorrow. She would have to thank her when she got back.

"I think it was the best idea I've ever had."


End file.
